Lens-board guide and holder for cameras.



No. 731,047. v PATENTED JUNE 16, 1903.

D. GRAF.

LENS BOARD GUIDE AND HOLDER FOR CAMERAS. I

' APPLICATION FILED um. 22, 1902.

I UNITED STATES Patented June16, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

DANIEL GRAF, OF DEMAREST, NEW JERSEY.

LENS-BOARD GUIDE AND HOLD ER FOR CAMERAS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 731,047, dated June1903- Applioation filed September 22. I902. b'erial llo. 124,260. (Nomodel.)

Bergen county, State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Lens-Board Guides and Holders for Cameras, of which thefollowing is a specification.

.My invent-ion relates to that class of cameras in which a so-calledfront or lens board is movably connected with the body of the camera,generally by a bellows, and has for its object to provide means forguiding the front in its movement toward and from the body of thecamera, and particularly for holding the front steady and parallel withthe back when the front reaches its position of use,

The invention will now be described in detail with reference to theaccompanying drawings, which illustrate one form of my invention, andthe novel features will then be pointed out in the appended claims.

Figure 1 is a front view of a camera provided with my improvement withthe front in the folded or closed position. Fig. 2 isa top view thereofwith the front extended. Fig. 3 is a side view of the camera with theparts in the same position as in Fig. 2. Fig. 4: is a detail top viewwith parts in section, showing the joint of the guiding and supportingdevice with the camera-body and with the front upon an enlarged scale.Fig. 5 is a detail view of a portion of the front and the attached endof the guiding device in the position which said device takes when thefront is in its extended position, and Fig. 6 is a detail frontelevation of a portion of the camera-front with parts in section.

The construction of the cam era proper forms no part of my presentinvention. I have shown a camera-body A, such as is used infilm-cameras, and, as represented, this body is out out at its centralportion, as indicated at A, so that the camerafront B may be receivedwithin said central recess when the camera is folded, as indicated inFig. 4. The lens-board or front proper may be constructed in anyapproved way, except as hereinafter set forth, and is connected with thebody A by any suitable extensible connecting structure, such as abellows C. At the front portions of the recess A are secured hinges D,to which are pivoted arms E E, which are adapted to' guide the front 13in its movement and to hold said front steady when it is in its forwardposition. (Shown in Figs. 2, 3, and 5.) WVhen the front is folded uponthe body of the camera, as shownin Figs. 1 and 4:, the arms E E lie flatupon the forward face of the front, and in order that the arms onopposite sides may not interfere with each other I prefer to arrangethem in different planes. Thus on one side there may be a bifurcated armE, while on the other side there is a single arm E, adapted to enterbetween the members of the arm I, as shown in Fig. 1. Springs F arecoiled about the pintles of the hinges D and bear upon the arms E E,with a tendency to hold the said arms in a folded position, as shown inFigs. 1 and 4:. The arms E E are slotted lengthwise, as indicated at Eand are provided at their free ends with apertures E slightly largerthan the slots E In the slots E and apertures E are adapted to work pinswhich have flat portions G of substantially the same width as the slotsE round portions G, which are of such diameter as to be received withinthe apertures E, but not within the slotsE and heads G which-are stilllarger, so that they cannot be received within the apertures E Thesepins are pivotally connected with the front B at H, and are thus adaptedto swing about axes which are vertical, and therefore parallehto theaxes of the hinges D, about which the arms E E swing. Upon thepivot-pins H or adjacent thereto I secure to the front B springs I,which normally-that is, in closed position-do not engage the arms E E,but are adapted to come against these arms as the front is drawn intothe forward position. The action of these springs is to force the arms EE outward or away from each other and firmly against the enlargedportions G of the pins carried by the front. Thus as soon as the frontis drawn sufficiently forward to cause the said pins to register withthe enlarged apertures the springs I will cause the said arms to snapoutwardly until the enlarged portion G" enters the aperture E of thecorresponding arm E or E, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6. It will be obviousthat when the parts are in this position the front B will be heldperfectly steady and that it will be impossible to move the front backby an accidental push upon it, since the portions G of the pins arelarger than the slots E and therefore cannot enter them. In order tofold the front back against the body, it is therefore necessary to firstpress the arms E E toward each other, so that they will be disengagedfrom the enlarged portions G of the pins and engaged only with thenarrow portions G, which again slide within the slots E In order tofacilitate this pressing together of the arms E E, I have looselymounted upon the outer end of each pin G a collar J, which iscountersunk, as shown best in Figs. 4 and 5, to receive the head G2 ofthe pin and which always is in engagement with the outer surface of thecorresponding arm E or E. The operator can then readily fold the cameraby resting the thumb of his right hand against that collar J which isshown at the left in Fig. 1, while two fingers of the right hand areengaged with the two collars shown at the right in Fig. 1. A slightpressure of the thumb toward the fingers will bring the arms E E inward,so as to make them register with the fiat portion (Jr of the pins, andthen a pres sure toward the body of the camera (which is held in theleft hand) will bring the front back to the folded position, and at thelast stage of this movement the springs F will suffice to fold the frontback against the body.

lVhile I have shown the body of the camera as provided with a recess toreceive the front and while such construction is preferable on accountof its great compactness, it is not absolutely necessary. I desire it tobe clearly understood that various modifications may be made withoutdeparting from the nature of my invention.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. The combination of a camera-body, a front movable relatively thereto,and a lighttight connection between the body and the front, with armshinged to the body and pins hinged to the front about axes parallel tothe hinges of the arms, said pins having a sliding engagement with saidarms.

2. The combination of a camera-body, a-

front movable relatively thereto, arms hinged to the body at oppositesides and adapted to fold over the front, and pins pivoted to the frontabout axes parallel to the hinges of the arms, said pins having slidingengagement with said arms.

3. The combination with the camera-body, and the front movablerelatively thereto, of arnis pivoted to the body and having longitudinal sliding engagement with the front at opposite sides thereof, the armson opposite sides of the front being arranged to swing in differentpaths so that they may lie side by side when folded against the front.

l. The combination of the camera-body, the front movable relativelythereto, longitudinally-slotted arms pivoted to the body and providedwith enlarged apertures at the outer ends of their slots, pins securedto the front and provided with portions of substantially the same widthas the slots of the arms, and with other portions adapted to enter thesaid enlarged apertures of the arms, and springs arranged to press thearms outward so as to lock them by engagement with the enlarged portionsof the pins.

5. The combination of the camera-body, the front movable relativelythereto, arms hinged to the body and provided with longitudinal slotshaving enlargements at their outer ends, pins pivoted to the front, andhaving narrow portions adapted to move in the slots of said arms, andenlarged portions arranged to engage the apertures at the ends of theslots, and springs carried by the front and arranged to press the armsoutward when the front is in its forward position.

6. The combination of the camera-body, the

front movable relatively thereto, arms pivoted to the body, pinspivotally secured to the front and having guiding engagement with thesaid arms, and means for lockin g the arms to the front when the latteris in its forward position.

7. The combination of the camera-body, the front movable relativelythereto,arms pivoted to the body, pins pivotally secured to the frontand having guiding engagement with the said arms, means for locking thearms to the front when the latter is in its forward position, and meansfor releasing the front.

8. The combination with the camera-body and the front movable relativelythereto, of arms pivoted to the body and provided with longitudinalslots having enlargements at their outer ends, pins pivoted to the frontand having flat portions arranged for engagement with said slots, andenlarged portions arranged for engagement with the apertures at the endsof the slots, springs adapted to throw the arms outward when the frontis in its forward position, and collars mounted upon the said pins andengaging the arms to press the latter inward against the tension of thesaid springs.

9. The combination of the camera-body,the front movable relativelythereto, arms pivotally connected with the body and with the front, andsprings for pressing said arms toward each other and holding the frontagainst the body in the folded condition of the cam era.

10. In a camera, the combination with the camera-body and a movablefront, of arms extending at opposite sides of the front and having apermanent engagement therewith during the movement of the front from itsfolded to its projected position, said arms being mounted to swingtransversely of the front;

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

DANIEL GRAF.

IVitnesses:

JOHN LOTKA, EUGENE EBLE.

